302 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



CHAPTER XV. 



Shipping Tomatoes. 



If the tomatoes are to be shipped, use the same boxes that are used for 

 picking, put 25 pounds in each box and wire down the covers, and they are 

 ready to ship. If baskets are used, the best size is 12 quarts, with hoop cover 

 and Leno netting, to show the fruit. They should be made of elm, and well 

 nailed ; they will then carry 20 pounds. I have always found it best to put up 

 tomatoes for shipping by weight. If they are put up in 20 or 25 pound lots, it 

 is easy to make the even hundred pounds, and as the railroads charge by the 

 hundred pounds for carriage, the charge on them will be less than when they 

 are put up in various weights. My practice for expressing is to send a careful 

 man directly to the station with the fruit, and at the same time send with the 

 man a memorandum, with name and full address of the parties to whom the 

 goods are shipped, also the number of packages and weight of each man's goods. 

 The memorandum is handed to the express agent in time to have all booked. 

 The man is instructed to watch the goods until the train arrives, and then to 

 assist the agent to put all carefully into the car. By this means I am sure that 

 all goods leave in first-class order. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



Varieties of Tomatoes. 



Acme — This tomato has become quite popular in some sections. It seems 

 to be best suited to the sandy soils. It is often catalogued as Early Acme, but 

 as far as my experience goes, it should be classed as a late variety. Color, 

 purplish-crimson ; medium size, good bearer, very smooth and handsome. 

 Grows too much vine for very rich soils or mucky land. With me, it cracks too 

 much for market purposes, and is subject to dry rot on the face of the fruit. 



Dwarf Champion — This is a very distinct variety, recently introduced. 

 Of dwarf, stiff habit ; color, purplish-crimson ; medium early and very smooth ; 

 quality, first-class ; ripens evenly all over ; does not crack as much as other very 

 round varieties do. It is well adapted for small^ gardens and rich soil. First 

 set fruit good size, afterward too small for market purposes. It can be set one- 

 third closer than most varieties. With me, it does not yield much more than 

 half the crop of some other sorts. 



Canada Victor — This tomato originated with me twenty-five years ago. I 

 sold the first seed of it to a noted seed merchant in the United States. I sent 

 him a little of the seed for trial, and it was so much ahead of other sorts tested 



